Monkeying Around At the Museums

As if we weren’t lucky enough having so many fantastic museums on our doorstep, things have just got better with a new programme of free, family-friendly activities and events at the Yorkshire Museum and York Castle Museum. Parents of pre-schoolers can take advantage of the Museum MonkeysEarly Years Explorers Programme: activities for children from two to five that include songs, stories, games and craft activities. Sessions are on Saturdays and Thursdays at York Castle Museum and the Yorkshire Museum, and sound fantastic. See below for the autumn term dates and what to expect at each session. Call 01904 650333 to book – we’ll see you there! There are also sessions for babies – more details to follow.Saturday 14th September – Yorkshire Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Explore bird skulls, make a parrot and bird feederThursday 19th September – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Try some historic foods, make some sugar mice and make a sweet wrapper collage.Saturday 21 September – Yorkshire Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Come on a journey to space, play with inflatable planets and make an alien puppet.Thursday 26th September – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Guess what’s in the mystery bags, make a feely collage and make a den with various materials.Saturday 28th September – Yorkshire Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Find the minibeasts in the sand, make a sticky spider’s web and look through the magnifying glass at minibeasts from the collection.Thursday 3rd October – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Look through the coloured glass, find the eyes in the ball pool and look in the mirror to draw a self portrait.Saturday 5th October – Yorkshire Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Look at artefacts from a medieval monk, dress up as a knight and make a stained glass window.Thursday 7th November – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Decorate the dish to run away with the spoon, help little Jack Horner to find the plum and wash the spider down the spout.Saturday 9th November – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Guess the castle smells activity, make a smelly picture and make a smelly herb bag.Thursday 14th November – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Dress up as a Victorian, make a bubble picture and use the wash board to scrub the washing and hang it out to dry.Saturday 16th November – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Go for a listening walk on Kirkgate, make a shaker and guess the animal sounds.Thursday 21st November – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – visit the 60s gallery, play the space race and make a 1960s fashion collage.Saturday 30th November – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Guess what’s in the mystery bags, make a feely collage and make a den with various texture materials.Saturday 7th December – York Castle Museum – 11am to 12 noon – Look through the coloured glass, find the eyes in the ball pool and look in the mirror to draw a self-portrait.